Stereopticon clock



April 30, 1929. e. WILLENS STEREOPTICON CLOCK 3 Sheets-Sheet IIIIIIIINL"Ill- Filed April 20, 1928 1510617, 7 672 0790 WWW April 30, 1929. GWILLENS 1,711,296

STEREOPTICON CLOCK Filed April 20, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1512072267(3802392 Mama April 30, 1929. s. WiLLENS 1,711,295

STEREOPTICON CLOCK Filed April 20, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr.30,1929.

UNITED OSTATES PTENT OFFICE.

GEORGE 'WILLENS, F CHICAGQ, ILLINOIS.

srnnnorrroon omen.

Application filed April 20, 1928. Serial No. 271,484.

My invention relates in general to stereopti- Fig. 4: is a sectionalview taken along the cons. It relates more particularly to the type lined4l of Fig. 2, and of stereopticon generally employed for adver- Figs. 5and 6 are views taken along the lines tising purposes wherein slides incircular 55 and 6-6, respectively, of Fig. 3 looking 5 form aresuccessively displayed on a screen in the direction of the arrows. witha clock dial and hands in shadow on the Une embodiment of my inventionis shown outside of the projected image so that the time in Fig. l but Iwish it understood that the aris shown by a glance at the projectedimage rangement of the case and the mounting of the and the center oradvertising portion ofthe apparatus therein does not necessarily have 10image brought to the attention of the observer. any connection with mypresent invention as My prior Patent No. 1,292,196, illustrates theinstrument may be made with a transluand describes one form ofstereopticon clock cent screen forming a part of the box in some of thischaracter and in the present developof the ways shown in my prior patentabove ment- 1 have been interested principally in referred to, or ascreen placed exteriorly of simplifying and improving the operation ofthe box may be employed.

and in other respects enhancing the value of lln the embodiment of Fig.1, a box or casing the former mechanism. 10, supports a source of light11, condensing Accordingly, the principal object of my lens 12 andprojecting lens 13. The slide present invention is the provision of animshifting and time-keeping mechanism are proved stereopticon clock.shown as a unit A and form the principal mat Another object is to designthe stereo ticon ter of interest in connection with the present so thatit may be operated entirely by electric invention. power so that it maybe left to operate any This unit does two things; it supports the lengthof time without receiving attention slides and shifts them successivelyinto pro-' from an operator.

jecting positions in a continuous sequence of Another object is to drivethe time mechaoperations. At the same time it places a pair nism byelectricity. I of hands in the path of the pro ecting beam g Anotherobject is to employ a synchronous of light, which hands show as a shadowmotor to drive the clock mechanism and at the around the edge of theprojected image and 30 same time utilize the power of thesynchrocooperate with a dial image resulting from a nous motor to shiftthe slides. clock dial imprinted on the outside of the Another 'objectis to provide a mechanism slides to show the time. The unit also keepsof this character wherein the slide wheel may these two handscontinuously moving clock be removed. or placed on its shaft withouthavfashion and does this through an electric-timing any effect on theoperation of the timeing mechanism utilizing the alterations of thekeeping portion of the mechanism. electric current. These alterationsare main- Another object is to provide a mechanism of tained by thepower company so regular and this character wherein the slide wheel issimaccurate that a clock designed to keep the time plyplaced on itsshaft with no adjustment of by utilizing, these alternations will befound 40 the position thereof necessary after being apas a rule, to beofi. not more than two or three plied on the shaft. seconds intwenty-four hours;

Other objects and features of the invention The unit referred to aboveis built on a plate will be apparent from a consideration of the 16forming what might be called the main detailed description taken withthe accomframe of this mechanism. It supports a small 45 panyingdrawings,rwherein synchronous motor indicated in its case at 17,

Fig. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of having a drive shaft 18extending through the my invention, a portion of the case being plate 16for the purpose of driving both the broken away and the balance shown inlongitime mechanism and the plate shifting mechatudinal vertical centralsection; nism. A gear 19 at the end of this shaft op- Fig. 2 is anenlarged faceview partly broken crates to drive the plate shiftingmechanism, away of the mechanism as seen from the line while'a smallergear 21 serves to operate the 22 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction ofthe time mechanism. Electrical connection is arrows; made to the motorby means-of a cord 22 and Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical central secthiscord 22 leads to a socket 23, which socket tional view; also suppliesthe lamp 11 through'a conductor 24L so all that is necessary to operatethe machine is to malre the single connection by means of asuitableplug, (not shown) to the socket 23.

Gonsidering first the time mechanism, the gear 21 pinned to the shaft18, engages a larger gear 26, which is loose on shaft 27, but this gearishollowed out toward the plate 16 and a washer or collar 28 pinned tothe shaft 27land a spring washer 29 loose on the shaft, are disposedwithin the hollow portion of the gear 26. The spring 29 hearing againstthe washer 28 and the inside of the gear 26, serves frictionally toconnect the gear with the shaft and so turn the same. It is through theturning of the shaft 27 that all of the time mechanism operates.

llt is readily understood that hands equivalent to the hands of a clockmust be provided and arranged toinove with a speedof the ratio of 12 tol in order that the proper time travel. of the hands may be obtained.

Referringrirst to the hour hand and mechanism for controlling themovement thereof, a pinion 3i, pinned to the shaft 27, drives a gear 32supported on a shaft 33 and held thereon by screw 34:. Integral with thegear 32, is a smaller gear 36 which meshes with the external gear teethof a ring gear 29, this gear being supported on the inside by rotatablegrooved rollers ll which are mounted on studs 42, carried by the plate16..

The ring gear 39 supports a hand l3 having an enlarged triangular end 43which serves to cast a shadow on the screen indicating the hour. 1

The minute hand mechanism must be such as to drive the minute hand attwelve times 7 the speed of the hour hand and to accomplish this apinion 46 on the end of the shaft 27 is pinned by means of its hub 47 soas to revolve with the shaft. It engages the outer teeth of a minutering gear 48 which is supported on grooved rotatable rollers 49 carriedby an auxiliary frame plate 51 which is supported away from the plate 16by studs 52. The ring gear 48 carries an hour hand 53 which has apointed shadow casting end 53 corresponding to the triangular end 43 ofthe hour hand. These two hands are shaped so that there can be no doubtin the mind of the ordinary observer of their shadows on the screen asto which indicates the hour and which the minute.

The shaft 27 is not connected to the motor mechanism and so may beoperated independently thereof. Consequently, for setting the hands ofthe clock the projecting end of the shaft 27 is grasped and theshaftturnedQ The construction of the gear 26 and the manner in which itis mounted on the shaft, permits this gear to remain stationary ormoving if the synchronous .motor is moving, without in any way adectingthe setting of the hands As the shaft 27 is turned by hand,

the collar 28 slides in contact with the spring 22 and the gear 26 isnot aifected. The gears 31 and 46, however, turn with the shafts and sothe hands are turned through the train of gears described and may bepositioned to the proper time setting whether the synchronous motor isrunning or The slides in the form of circular transparencies 5a aresupported on a slide wheel 56, the slide wheel having a circularaperture in the location of each transparency and having means forsupporting the transparencies in position, the means shown comprisingfor each transparency, a pair of upstanding lips 57 under which one sideof the circular transparenc extends and bevelled roller 58 mountedloosely in an elongated slot 59 and forced in the slot toward thetransparencies by a spring 61 clinched to the slide wheel at 62, eachspring engaging a pair of the rollers, one at each end, manner shown.The transparencies are quickly replaced in positionor removed by forcingthe roller the slot away from the transparencies and then lifting it outfrom under the-lips 57.

l mount the slide wheel so thatit can be advanced in successive stagesequal to the dis tances from the centers of the transparencies andemploythe power from the small synchronous motor 17 to drive the same. Iarrange the drive, however, so that substantially the same load, andthis a small one, is borne by the motor at all times; so that theintermittent operation of the slide wheel can in. no way aifect theaction of the motor.

The slide wheel is supported on a hub 63 which is removable from butquickly applied in position on a sleeve 64 which is loosely mounted on aspindle 66 held by the plate 16, the sleeve being retained on thespindle 66 by a screw '67.. Since the gears driving the slide wheel aretimed to obtain the right action, I provide means forpreventing theslide wheel from being placed on' the sleeve 64 in more than oneposition. This means comprises in the present case, a longitudinal slot68 in the sleeve and a projection 69 on the inside of the hub 63. Anannular groove 71 is provided in the sleeve, and a spring 72 carried bythe hub is adapted to engage in this annular groove to releasably holdthe hub on the sleeve. In this way a positive but quickly releasableconnection is obtained.

As previously mentioned, the gear 19 on the motor shaft 18 is employedto drive the slide shifting mechanism. This gear meshes With an idlergear 73 carried by a shaft supported on the plate 18, and the idler 73meshes with a large gear 74 which is loose on a portion of the sleeve64. This gear carries a pin 76 to which one end of a coil spring 77 isconnected, the other end of the coil spring being connected by a screw78 tothe sleeve 64. Consequently, there is a connection through thespring 7 only between the gear 74% and the 7',

sleeve 64, and the gear 74, through the spring and sleeve, is adapted todrive the slide wheel. I provide means, however, so that tension maygradually be built up in the spring 77 and then released so as to obtaina spasmodic snap being equal in number to half the number of thetransparencies and arranged an equal distance about the periphery of theslide wheel. (lo-operating with these stops are dogs 81 and 82projecting from a rocker 83 pivoted to the plate 16 at 84, the motion ofthe rocker being controlled by an arm 86 having one end connected to apin 87 disposed on the idler 73 at a suitable distance from the centerthereof. The other end is disposed in a longitudinal slot in the rocker83 and connected thereto by a pin 88, so that movement of the gear 73imparts a rocking motion to the rocker 83 and a corresponding in and outmovement of the dogs 81 and 82. These dogs alternately engage anddisengage one of the projections 7 9 so that the slide wheel ispermitted to advance each time a distance equal to half the distancebetween the stops 79, or in other words, a distance equal to thedistance between the centers of the transparencies 54. As the gear 74 isturned and the slide wheel held stationary, tension is increased in thespring 77 so that at the time a projection 79 is released by one of thediscs, the spring unwinds sufficiently to drive the slide wheel with asnap movement until it is stopped by a projection 79 engaging the otherone of the dogs on the rocker 83.

It is obvious that all of the tension in the spring 77 is not spent byits movement in drivingthe slide wheel one slide position or the properaction could not be obtained. With the spring entirely unwound, theprojection 79 is normally in the position indicated at 79 in Fig. 2. Inprevious movements of this character with which I am familiar, it hasrection so as to preliminarily build up a certain tension in the springand engage the .pro

j ection over the dog 82, that is, bring all of the parts into positionsas shown in full lines in Fig. 2. I

I have designedthis mechanism, however, so that it is unnecessarypreliminarily to set the slide wheel, the only requirement being that itbe placed in position on the sleeve 64 and the synchronous motorstarted. There are two things to bear in mind in obtaining this resultand they are arranging the slide wheel so that the unadjusted positionthereof will not bring the projection 79 too far away from one of thedogs 81 or 82; and secondly,

the timing of the rocker 83 and the position in which it is set must beaccurately arranged.

Below the gear 74 andsecured on the sleeve 64 is a disc segment 91 ofslightly smaller diameter than the gear 74 and having a chord cut fromits side, leaving a straight edge 91. A pin 92 projecting downwardlyfrom the gear 74 is positioned with respect to the cut away portion ofthe disc so that as the movement of the parts take place, there is nointerference from the pin which has the open area of the disc in whichtomove.

This pin and disc arrangement is very effective, however, in controllingthe position of the slide wheel to facilitate its being properly engagedfor control by movement of the rocker 83. With the slide wheel removedfrom the sleeve 64, the pin 92 is in the position shown in full lines inFig. 6. With the slide wheel in operation with a projection 79 engaginga dog 81 or 82 and just as the shifting of the slide wheel has takenplace, the pin is in the position indicated at 92'. When the spring iscompletely wound and just before the movement of the slide wheel, thepin is in the position indicated at 92". I have found that the bestposition of the slide wheel in its unadjusted position, that is, when itis first placed on the machine and the dogs 81 or 82 are not yetengaged, is with a projection 79 removed from a dog 81 or 82 as the casemay be, a distance-equal to approximately half the distance between theslide centers. This allows suflicient tension to build up in the spring77 to get the proper action and at the same time permits timing so as toobtain an automatic adjustment or setting of the slide wheel. Sincethere must be a full slide ,position movement after the slide wheel isset, the movement permitted by the disc 91 should be approximately oneand one-half times the distance between the slide centers in order toobtain the proper action.

In timing the rocker 83, the first thing to be borne in mind is that foreach slide distance movement of the gear 74, the idler gear 73 whichcontrols the movement of the rocker 83 must make a half revolution; butI time this gear in addition so that as the gear wheel turns when firstplaced on the sleeve 64, one of the dogs 81 or 82 will engage aprojection 79 so as to hold it while the gear wheel 74 turns one andone-half slide positions. Thereafter the movement of the slide wheelwill.

be normal.

In timing the gears and rocker 83 to get this effect, I arrange so thatin the normal operation of the slide wheel, the projection 79 engagesthe dogs 81 and 82 when such discs are advanced a considerable distancetoward the inside of the projection. Then the time required to releasethe projection is only slightly less than the time required for theoutward movement of this dog. At the same time, with this setting andthe slide wheel inan unadjusted position as when first applied, theprojection 79 is engaged while tne disc is on the way in so that theresult will be that the projection will be engaged for a greater lengthof time, to be precise, approximately fifty percent again as long aswhen the subsequent normal operation takes place. This effect isobtained by roperly regulating the extent of movement of the rocker 83(this being controlled by the'position of the two pivot points 87 and 88and the location of the pivot point 84). As previously described, thesegmented disc 91 or an equivalent structure is also of importance inpositioning the pro-- jection 79so that when starting it will not get bythe dogs 81 and 82 before they have moved inwardly sufliciently toengage the projection.

In the operation of my invention the general purpose is of courseadvertising and in carrying out this purpose, the transparencies, allofwhich have the clock dial on theoutside thereof, will each bear someadvertising legend and when all of the transparencies have been placedin position on the slide wheel,- the wheel is mounted on the supportingsleeve 64, no precautions being necessary to secure proper positioning.A connection to a source of alternating current power is made at theplug 23 and this sets the synchronous motor in operation, resulting in adriving of both the time mechanism and slide wheel with its associatedmechanism. If the hands of the time mechanism do not show the correcttime, they may be set while the motor is running, or they may be setbefore starting the motor if desired. -The slide wheel beingautomatically adjustable will quickly start its regular intermittentmovement causing the transparencies to be displayed in regular sequenceon the screen. The hands. cooperate with the dial on each transparencyand at all times except during the fraction of a second in which theshifting of the transparencies takes place, the correct time isdiscernible with an advertising legend visible at the same time.

Although I have described the features of the present invention withsome particularity, it is obvious that I am not necessarily restrictedto the specific form shown, and

the invention is limited only bythe scope of the appended claims. v

What I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent.is:--

1. In a stereopticon clock, a slide wheel bearing a plural'gy oftransparencies and having projection on the periphery thereof, one foreach two transparencies, a constant speed synchronous motor having ashaft with a driving gear thereon, an idler gear driven by said drivinggear, a'slide wheel driving gear connected to said idler gear, a.yielding connection between said slide wheel driving a driving gearthereon, an idler gear driven by said driving gear, a slide Wheeldriving gear connected to said idler gear, a yielding connection betweensaid slide wheel driving gear and said slide wheel, a rocker with a pairof dogs for alternately engaging anddis engaging the projections on theperiphery of the slide wheel, a connection from said idler gear to saidrocker for reciprocating the same, and means for limiting the possiblemovement between said slide wheel driving gear and said slide wheel.

3. ,In a stereopticon clock, a slide wheel bearing a plurality oftransparencies and having projections on the periphery thereof, one foreach two transparencies, a constant speed synchronous motor having ashaft with a driving gear thereon, anyidler gear driven by said drivinggear, aslide wheel driving gear connected to said idler gear, a yieldingconnection between said slide wheel driving gear and said slide wheel, arocker with I the same, and means for limiting the backward movement ofthe slide wheel with respect to said drive gear a distance from theposition at which the peripheral' projections are engaged, notsubstantially more than onehalf the distance between transparencycenters. 1

4. Ina stereopticon clock, a constant speed synchronous motor with adrive shaft having a pair of gears secured thereto, a time mechanismwith a pair of shadow casting hands driven at constant speed by one ofsaid gears, a slide supporting and shifting mechanism including a slidewheel, a driving gear concentric therewith, a spring connection betweenthe concentric drive gear and the slide wheel, an idler gear receivingmotion from the second motor shaft gear and transferring it to saidslide Wheel drive gear, mechanism for alternately arresting the motionof and releasing the slide wheel to permit it to be driven by saidspring connection.

5. In a stereopticon, a rotatably mounted slide wheel for conveyingtransparent slides,

ing connection between the gear and slide wheel through which the slidewheel is driven,

gear and said slide wheel, a rocker with a means for alternately holdingthe slide wheel quick movement of the slide wheel a distance equal toone slide position, it being necessary to have an initial tension onsaid.

yielding means in addition to said previously described tension in orderto have satisfactory Operation thereof, and means associated with saidyieldin connection for building up said initial tenslon when said slidewheel isfirst applied in position.

6. In a stereopticon, a rotatably mounted slide wheel, a concentricallymounted gear,

means for driving said gear at constant speed,

ayielding connection between the gear and slide wheel, means foralternately holding the slide wheel tobuild up tension in the yieldingconnection and releasing the same to obtain a quick movement of theslide wheel a dis-' tance equal to oneslide position, and means forautomatically setting the slide wheel with respect to said holding andreleasing means, said means including a stop between the gear and slidewheel for preventing the slide wheel having an advanced positionsubstantially greater than one-half the width of each slide position.

7. In a stereopticon, arotatably mounted slide wheel with projections onthe periphery thereof, a concentrically mounted constant speed drivinggear, a yielding driving connection between said gear and slide Wheel, arocker with two dogs carried thereby, a positively acting mechanism foroperating said rocker and driven by connection to said driving gear, therocker and dogs being set and timed by said positively acting operatingmechanism so that each time a dog engages a projection, said 'dog hasprogressed a considerable distance inwardly, with the result that whenthe slide wheel is first placed in position, and the projectionsunengaged, at the first engagement the engaging dog is on the way in andthus holds the projection a greater length of time than normally and sosets the slide wheel to normal operating position. p

8. In a .stereopticon of the character described, a synchronous motoradapted for con stant driving movement and having a'drive shaft with apair of driving gears thereon, a rotatably mounted slide wheel withtransparent slides around the periphery thereof, a driving connectionfrom one of said driving gears to said slide wheel, a time shaftdisposed adjacent said motor shaft, a pair of ring gears concentricallydisposed about said time shaft and having minute and hour shadow castinghands thereon, a relatively large idler gear mounted on said time shaftand meshing with the other of said synchronous motor driving gears, aclutch secured on the time shaft and adjacent said large idler gear forreceiving motion from the idler gear and imparting it to the time shaft,and connections from the time shaft to said ring gears for driving thesame at clock,

mounted gear at constant speed, a resilient driving connection betweensaid gear and slide wheel, means for braking the slide wheel at periodicintervals to obtain a quick intermittent driving movement of said slidewheel, and means between said gear and slide P wheel for limiting themovement of said slide wheel in either direction.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 31st day of March,1928.

GEORGE WILLENS.

